Panko-Crusted Crab Cake Bites With Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 ounces shelled cooked crabmeat
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs (see notes) or 1 1/4 cups fine dry breadcrumbs
Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped drained canned roasted red pepper
minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
fresh chives, rinsed and cut into 1-inch lengths

Preparation

Sort through crab and discard any bits of shell. In a large bowl, combine celery, minced chives, mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and hot sauce; mix well with a fork.
Add crab and 1/4 cup panko; stir gently just to mix.
Put remaining 1 cup panko in a shallow bowl.
Shape crab mixture into 24 cakes, each about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Turn each cake in panko to coat on all sides, pressing gently to make crumbs adhere.
Place cakes slightly apart in an oiled 12- by 17-inch baking pan. Bake in a 475\u00b0F regular or convection oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
With a spatula, transfer crab cakes to a platter. Spoon a dollop of Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli onto each cake. Garnish platter with fresh chives. Serve hot.
For the Aioli.
In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped drained canned roasted red peppers, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic.